The present invention relates generally to a construction apparatus, and more particularly, to a dock building apparatus with a cantilever arm having a foundation building tool movable along the cantilever arm and arranged to build a dock along a shoreline.
Without implying any limitation to other types of construction and for the purpose of the present invention, the dock (or quay) is a general term used to describe a marine structure for the mooring or tying-up of vessels, and for loading and unloading of goods and passengers. It is generally contiguous with the shoreline.
The construction of quays falls broadly into two classifications: quays with a closed or solid construction, and quays with an open construction, where the deck is supported on piles. The deck of an open quay is supported on piles and the entire structure is open to full view.
The piles may either be in normally reinforced concrete, pre-stressed concrete, or steel. Piles in general may be divided into two broad categories: driven and in situ. Driven piles are piles driven into the ground by foundation tools. In situ piles are piles formed in the ground by first drilling a large diameter hole and then filling it with concrete and structural reinforcement. A combination of the two, also known as a cased or jacketed piles, typically comprise a steel pipe pile driven into the ground, emptied of its contents, and then refilled with reinforced concrete.
The construction of quays resting on piles is typically done using usual foundation building apparatus, for example piling or vibrating hammers installed on barges or on temporary decks placed on top of the piles already installed, or more simply on the shore.
A number of limitations result from this traditional method. For example, those relating to lengthy erection time, to difficulties associated with different types of ground (seabed) deposition and/or to the presence of rubble mounted breakwater, and to difficulties relating to the spacing and/or alignment of the pile lanes, due to the fact that the foundation equipment has limited reach, as it is designed to work on solid ground (shore) where close access to the foundation position is typical. This span limitation leads to non-optimal deck structures. Furthermore, the outcome of the construction process is affected, notably due to imprecise pile lane positions and to general construction inefficiencies.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems and to provide an improved construction apparatus and method for construction of a dock (quays) with an open structure in civil engineering works.